Pindapata - Alms Food-Collecting

Alms food-collection and consumption is a duty of the Theravada Buddhist monk and this is enshrined in the ordination procedure of the monk. As part of the ordination procedure, every newly ordained Theravada Buddhist monk will be given the following admonishment by his preceptor:

"Going-Forth has alms-food as its support. For the rest of your life you are to endeavour at that."

Buddhist monks sustain their lives on the support of benevolent devotees for their four requisites of robes, food, shelter and medicine while providing spiritual guidance and advice to lay supporters in return. The acts of benevolence also give lay supporters an opportunity to acquire merit that results from their kind intentions.

Alms food-collecting is the right livelihood for those who have gone forth from home to homelessness (i.e. monks). It is not just a custom or tradition, but a religious observance (vatta) or mode of life to be observed by monks. The term "monks" in Pali is "bhikkhu", which means a religious mendicant - one who quits his home or family and lives only on alms. The practice also allows a platform for monks to interact with the devotees during the alms round and thus strengthen the relationship between the Buddhist community of monks and lay devotees.

Within the alms-bowl, lay people can offer cooked food or ripened fruits. Other requisites such as robes, medicine can be offered outside the alms-bowl when the monks are in the monasteries.

Right Practice

1. Stand still outside hawker centre or market

2. Wait for food donor to approach.

3. Alms bowl covered with a lid which is opened when donor wishes to offer food.

4. Do not carry pendants/ amulets.

5. Consume food between the break of dawn (around 6.45am) and 12 noon.

Bogus (monetary-collecting) Monks

1. Walk from table to table in hawker centre.

2. Approach patrons at tables.

3. Alms bowl open all the time.

4. Carry pendants/ amulets as a form of repayment to donors.

5. Collect alms after 12.00 noon

Pindapata –托钵

托钵是指出家者持钵巡访各城市、村落等处，领受施舍之食。这是上座部（南传佛教）佛教僧侣的一种责任。

佛教僧伽接受信徒四种资具的供养，即衣食住药；同时，僧伽为信众提供精神指导和建议以作回报。布施也让信众有机会获得功德。

托钵时，民众可把要供养的熟食或成熟的水果放入僧人的钵中即可。其他必需品，如袈裟，药品，可在僧伽在寺院里时供养。

正确的托钵方式

1。僧人站在小贩中心或市场的外面

2。等待食物供养。

3。钵盖只在有信众供养时打开。

 4。不会随身携带吊坠/护身符。

5。只在破晓（约六时四十五分）中午12时之间进食。

假僧侣

1。在小贩中心步行到每桌去。

2。接近在座位上的食客。

3。钵任何时候都开着，没钵盖。

4。随身携带吊坠/护身符，以换取金钱。

5。中午12时后还在托钵